Cigar smoking is a social event that gives us the chance to connect with others from all different walks of life. If your local cigar shop is anything like mine, on a daily basis we solve the world’s problems, and then we start all over again the next day. During these sessions we have a tendency to share cigars we like with each other. In the spirit of this sharing, Southern Draw has taken our No. 4 Cigar of 2015 and released a limited production Code Duello Kudzu box pressed perfecto, that comes in pairs of two made specifically for sharing with our fellow BOTL/SOTL.

Pre-Light: The Southern Draw Kudzu unique looking box pressed figurado. The dark brown chocolate brown colored wrapper has a slight oil sheen to it, but to the touch the wrapper feels a tad dry. There are no real prominent veins to the cigar’s Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper.

From the wrapper of the Southern Draw Kudzu there is a strong barnyard and leather aroma with just a hint of coffee. Due to the shape of the cigar there is no unique seen from the foot. The cold draw is very easy and allows through flavors of leather, cashews and pepper.

Burn: The burn on the Kudzu is can be a bit uneven at times, especially around the bulge in the first third of the cigar, but most of the time it corrects itself with no need to break out the lighter. As I’ve said in the past, it is appropriate that the brand uses “draw” in its name since the Southern Draw Kudzu (in any size) has a perfect draw. The ash clings well to the foot of the cigar for a good deal of time, but when it is ready to fall it’s going to fall, so watch your clothing.

Flavor: Immediately on lighting up the Southern Draw Kudzu Code Duello there is a bpepper good deal of black and white pepper. As the pointed tip of the cigar burns into the body of the cigar, there is a fair amount of cocoa and earth, as the pepper dies down somewhat. On the retrohale there is a strong mix of cocoa and spice during the first third of the cigar. When the cigar burns into the second third there is a slight uptick in the spice and black pepper. A great mix of dark espresso and chocolate dominate the second third of the Kudzu, while leather and cedar remain in the background. During the transition to the final third of the cigar, the black pepper begins to become even more prevalent, but does not overpower the cocoa, cedar, earth and spice that was already present. The Southern Draw Code Duello Kudzu finishes with cocoa, earth and pepper being the most prominent flavors.

Overall: The Southern Draw Kudzu Gordo was our No. 4 Cigar on our Top Ten Cigars of 2015, so I was quite excited when I found that there was going to be an expansion of the line. The Code Duello Kudzu is a great full bodied cigar with fair amounts of cocoa, cedar, spice and pepper to it. Personally, I love the Southern Draw Kudzu, and I didn’t think that it could get any better, but I think that they’ve managed to find a vitola that lets the cigar shine more than it already did. Some may find the idea of buying two not to their taste, but when it’s broken down the price is only $10.99 each, which is quite reasonable for what you’re getting. I’d recommend trying the Code Duello Kudzu to anyone who enjoys flavorful full bodied Nicaraguan cigars. Once you’ve had the chance to smoke it, you may decide to keep the second one for yourself. This cigar has all the hallmarks of a cigar that should age well, if history is any indicator they won’t last long enough in my humidor to find out for sure.

Pairing: When pairing the Kudzu with a drink, I find that a nice sipping well really compliments the cigar. The Ron Zacapa 23, Zafra 21 and Kirk & Sweeney 12 are all excellent choices to go with the Southern Draw Kudzu. For the scotch drinker, almost anything from the Dalmore Distillery will go nicely with this cigar.

Cigars for this review provided by Robert and Sharon Holt of Southern Draw Cigars before August 8, 2016. No request for review was made. Though we greatly appreciate their generosity, it in no way changes the way this cigar is reviewed. At Toasted Foot LLC we are committed to providing impartial cigar reviews.